Celiac Sufferers Can Try These Alternative Flours For Holiday Baking

Food writer Sarah-Jane Bedwell offers some suggestions for holiday baking to people with celiac disease (severe allergic reaction to the protein gluten) or a wheat allergy. Her focus is on six alternative flours: almond, rice, amaranth, potato, buckwheat and chickpea. Each has its virtues as a replacement for wheat flour. For example, buckwheat makes a whole grain flour that has a rich, nutty flavor, is high in fiber, calcium and protein and is “great in bread or muffin recipes”. Vitamin B-rich potato flour attracts and holds water, so it works great for making moist breads, pancakes, and waffles.

"6 Alternative Flours for Gluten Free Baking", TheHuffingtonPost.com, November 24, 2014

Dietary Changes Would Benefit The Health Of Humans And The Planet

Shifting to a largely plant-based diet would not only make us healthier, it would also be good for the planet, according to U.S. researchers. Their study fused data on the environmental costs of food production – growing fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. vs. raising cattle– as well as diet trends, relationships between diet and health, and population growth. The core problem is that people consume too much refined sugar, refined fats and oils, and land-intense agricultural products like beef. All of this shortens lifespans, while increasing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing land available for endangered species. The solution is to switch to largely Mediterranean, pescatarian (fish) or vegetarian diets.

"Global diets link environmental sustainability and human health. ", Nature, November 12, 2014

The Health Benefits Of Cooking With Unground Wheat Berries

A Mayo Clinic dietitian describes the health benefits of cooking with wheat berries, the mostly unprocessed kernels of wheat that contain the germ, endosperm and bran, but not the hull. Ground wheat berries are used to make whole wheat flour, but even before grinding, the berries can be used to make soups, stews, salads, bread, stuffing and other foods. A half cup of cooked wheat berries has 150 calories, four grams of fiber, plus magnesium, selenium, manganese, phosphorus and lignans, thought to protect against breast and prostate cancer. Several wheat berry recipes are offered along with tips for preparation and storage.

"Wheat berries boost whole grain intake", La Crosse Tribune, November 23, 2014

Many Fruit Juices For Kids Sold In The U.K. Are More Sugary Than Coca-Cola

More than 25 percent of fruit juices targeted at children and sold in British supermarkets contain as much or more sugar than Coca-Cola. According to a report by Action on Sugar, store brands from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and ASDA were “among the worst culprits”. For example, ASDA’s Chosen by Kids tropical juice drink contains seven teaspoons of sugar per 200 ml -- more than a teaspoon more than regular Coke. A quarter of the juice drinks contain added sugar or glucose-fructose syrup. Health experts from Action on Sugar urge parents to skip fruit juices altogether, except perhaps at mealtimes.

"Fruit drinks aimed at children contain more sugar than Coca-Cola", The Telegraph, November 10, 2014

Applying Genetic Information Helps Improve Eating Habits

Canadian researchers have found that tailoring one’s diet using genetic information improves eating habits better than following standardized diet advice. The researchers collected data on the intake of caffeine, sodium, vitamin C and sugar from 138 healthy young adults who were then divided into two groups. One group was given DNA-based dietary advice while the other group was given current standard dietary advice. Dietary habits were checked after three and 12 months. Those who received DNA-based dietary advice showed dietary improvement after three months and even more so after a year. The genetic dietary advice was provided by a University of Toronto start-up company that develops genetic test kits for personalized nutrition.

"Disclosure of Genetic Information and Change in Dietary Intake: A Randomized Controlled Trial. ", PLoS ONE, November 21, 2014

Popular Diet Plans Work In The Short Term, But Are Ineffective Over The Long Haul

A Canadian review of clinical trials involving four commercial diet plans -- Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, and Zone -- that promise not only weight loss but improved cardiovascular health found that all helped dieters lose weight in the short term. However, the trials provided little evidence that the diets worked in the long run, or that they improved heart health. Weight Watchers dieters lost an average 7.7 to 13.2 pounds after a year compared to 1.8 to 11.9 pounds with usual care. But at two years, dieters had regained a lot of the pounds. In a head to head comparison of diets, those on Atkins lost the most, an average 4.6 to 10.3 pounds. The control group lost about 4.85 pounds.

"Long-Term Effects of 4 Popular Diets on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. ", Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, November 21, 2014

Vegan Diet Is Best For Shedding Pounds

U.S. researchers who compared the weight loss results of different types of diets found that a strict vegan diet worked best at cutting pounds. The study involved 50 overweight individuals over six months who were randomly assigned to vegan, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, vegetarian or omnivorous diets. At the end of six months, individuals on the vegan diet lost more weight than those on a mostly plant-based diet, and those on an omnivorous diet (a mix of animal products and plant based foods) by an average of 4.3 percent, or 16.5 pounds. The researchers also found that vegan diets improved macronutrients more than other diets.

"Comparative effectiveness of plant-based diets for weight loss: A randomized controlled trial of five different diets. ", Nutrition, November 15, 2014

Vitamin B With Folic Acid Does Not Prevent Or Improve Memory Loss

Dutch researchers have determined that, despite earlier observational studies, taking folic acid and vitamin B12 over long periods of time does not reduce the risk of memory loss. The study was conducted in 2,919 older patients with high levels of the amino acid homocysteine – thought to be associated with memory loss. Folic acid and vitamin B12 do lower homocysteine levels, but after two years of supplementation the researchers found no difference between the patients who took supplements and those who took a placebo in the scores on thinking and memory tests.

"Results of 2-year vitamin B treatment on cognitive performance: Secondary data from an RCT. ", Neurology, November 12, 2014

An Obsession With Healthy Eating Can Be Very Unhealthy

Add another eating disorder to the list: orthorexia nervosa, a condition in which people obsessed with eating healthful, “clean” food end up hurting themselves. More and more doctors and dietitians are treating people determined to cleanse their diet of meat products, gluten, dairy, sugar, etc., become obsessive compulsive, lose way too much weight and even become malnourished. Very little research has been done on the phenomenon, but researchers in Colorado recently devised a list of criteria for doctors to use to diagnose orthorexia. The criteria could also be used to expand research on the condition, which is not yet listed in the official manual of mental disorders.

"When Healthy Eating Calls For Treatment", The Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2014

Home-Packed School Lunches Tend To Be A Lot Less Healthful -- Study

Researchers in Virginia who analyzed the nutritional value of more than 750 school meals with more than 560 packed meals given to pre-K and kindergarten students in three schools over five days found that school lunches were generally more healthful for kids. School lunches were lower in fat and higher in protein, though they did tend to contain more sodium. Packed lunches were less likely to have fruits, vegetables, sugar-free juice and milk, and had more snacks such as chips and crackers. "There were some really healthy packed lunches,” one researcher said. “But overall, they were pretty unhealthy." 

"School Lunches More Nutritious Than Home-Packed Lunches: Study", HealthDay , November 07, 2014